Love beyond the Western Lands

Chapter 19: Shadow Showdown! Kikyou V.S. Naraku

"It's up ahead!" Kikyou cried, exhausted. She ran up ahead while Sesshoumaru calmly followed. Riko was already precipitating and heaving deep breaths of air. Kikyou skidded in the middle of her run. "There it is," Kikyou thought, disgusted. "The illusion castle of the scum that once killed me…"

She ran with inhuman speed and jumped the large gates and landed in the courtyard. "Naraku!" she yelled in the ghostly courtyard. "Where are you? SHOW YOUR COWARD-SELF!" In rage, she drew out her Ni Hon and swung it, throwing out lavender crescents. They destroyed portion of the castle. Soon enough, Sesshoumaru leapt over the castle gates, followed by Riko, who vaulted over.

"Where is he?" Sesshoumaru asked. "I don't know," Kikyou said. "So, you all made it!" Naraku's voice said mockingly. He walked out of the house parallel to Kikyou, Sesshoumaru and Riko. "Shame, shame," he said, guiltily. "Of all the great surprises I prepare for you, you get past." Naraku heaved a great sigh. "It appears Kirei hadn't done her best…" "Quit your nonsense," Kikyou yelled, enraged. "Fight, then!" "Fight, I shall!"

Kayorei and an unknown girl leapt out. The girl was chained from head to toe. "Aoi!" Kikyou thought, startled. "This should be enough for now…" Naraku said and disappeared back into the shadows. Kayorei leapt back on the roof and chanted a spell. "…Chains the bind Aoi, release!" The chains that bind Aoi shattered. Aoi looked up and leapt into the air, thrashing. "She is like Juroumaru and Kageroumaru!" Kikyou thought. Sesshoumaru seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

Within the blink of an eye, Aoi attacked Sesshoumaru and Kikyou. Sesshoumaru was fast enough to draw Toukijin and fend her off. Kikyou summoned all of her power into her Ni Hon. "BLAST OF FURY!" She screamed. The jewel-welded katana pulsated. She swung her blade. The blast was so strong; it killed Aoi before it even reached her. "Where's Riko?" Kikyou yelled, frantically. "She's having her own fight with Kayorei," Sesshoumaru said. "Mmnh… No sign of Kagura or Kanna," Kikyou thought. "I must be careful." She ran into the castle just ass Kagura leapt out and attacked Sesshoumaru. "There she is!" Kikyou said out loud. Sesshoumaru slapped her on the face with the flat end of the Toukijin, sending her flying. "Yep, he'll manage!" Kikyou said flatly.

She kept her guard up in the dark, dank corridors. Soon, Kikyou came upon a door. She made to open the door, holding the Ni Hon up higher. She opened up the door quickly. Inside was Kanna. She shielded her eyes. "Kikyou," Kanna said softly. "For the pain and grief you have caused me… if I could only cause all that to you." Spirit tentacles spouted out of the mirror once again, grasping Kikyou's arms and legs. "What-aah-NO!" She cried. The Ni Hon dropped to the floor. But, something snapped in her head. "That's right! I have the power of a dragon youkai!" she thought. She shut her eyes. With deep concentration, her stripes reappeared on her face and body once again.

With great difficulty, Kikyou blasted Kanna off her feet with her palm. She grabbed a hold of the Ni Hon once again and locked the door Kanna resided in and ran down the corridor.

A katana swung at Kikyou's head, narrowly missing it. "Nara…!" Before Kikyou knew it, Naraku sliced an X on her face. He began to cackle. "Make that a scar that will not fade!" he cackled. Hatred bubbled in Kikyou's heart… a hatred no one had ever had. Blood slid down her face. The cackling drove her crazy until she flipped. "NARAKU, BE DAMNED!" She screamed. She raised the Ni Hon and drove it through Naraku's heart.

Naraku's cackling began to decline, until it became a raspy breathing. "Why won't he die!" Kikyou thought. "Oh… I see. All of his other detachments must fall first before he can die himself." Soon, she heard agonized screams. "Kikyou…" Naraku said scratchily. "…I shall see you…in the bowels of hell…" His soul left his corrupted body. "I won't be going towards the bowels of hell," Kikyou said. "I may be ascending to the clouds of heaven." Kikyou searched his robes to look for the Shikon jewel and it was there in his obi. She took out her own Shikon shard and put it together. She smiled. "Shikon no Tama is purified and is almost complete."

Kikyou exited the castle, where she found Sesshoumaru and Riko standing over the dead bodies of their opponents. "Kikyou!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed. "What happened to your face?" "It's nothing." Riko walked over to Kikyou and touched the wound. In a matter of moments, it was healed, but a faint scar was left on her face. "Have you got all the shards of the Shikon jewel?" Riko asked. "No…not yet at least. Let's pay Inuyasha and the others a brief visit." Kikyou undid her necklace (If you forgot what it looked like, it is a red string, with a silver 8-corner star. Around it was a silver hoop, and on the bottom, was a purple gem) until it dropped down to her stomach. She looped it around Sesshoumaru and Riko's neck. In a flash of light, they were at the location of where Inuyasha and his tachi were.

Snow was falling once again. "Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed. "Look! It's Kikyou!" Inuyasha looked. "Hello, Inuyasha," Kikyou said curtly. Sango decided to speak up. "Miko Kikyou, what is it that you want?" "The Shikon no Tama...It is nearly complete. But for it to be its original shape, I will need your shards." Shippou leapt on top of Miroku's head. "Pssh! As if!" Shippou said. "Why should be believe a walking corpse like you?" Inuyasha slammed him on the head. "She's no longer dead, baka. She's alive now." Inuyasha gave him the "I'll explain later" look. "If you still have any doubt," Sesshoumaru said, "Kikyou will show you the shard." Kikyou reached around her neck and pulled out the Shikon jewel, which was almost full. Miroku gasped. "If you had that full of a shard," Miroku said, "you must have paid a visit to Naraku." "Yes," Riko said. "And not only that. He's dead now."

"What!" they all exclaimed. "Go on, Houshi," Sesshoumaru said. "Open up your Kazaana. There won't be one." Miroku looked at his right hand. He slowly loosened the prayer beads. "She's right," Miroku said. A smile slowly crept onto his face. "NARAKU IS DEAD!"

Kagome received the shards from Miroku and Sango. She put them together. They merely made a little wedge but Kagome handed them to Kikyou anyway. Kikyou slid the wedge in the crack on the Shikon jewel. With a blinding light, the Shikon no Tama was whole once more. Kikyou put the Shikon jewel to her necklace. Shikon no Tama's power was spilt in half, but the power was the same. Half of the power resided in Kikyou's necklace and half resided in the Shikon jewel. "Arigato," Kikyou said as she created a portal. Sesshoumaru and Riko walked through. Kikyou was about to walk through the portal. But she looked back and gave Inuyasha a small smile before walking through.

"Kikyou," Inuyasha thought. "I will get over you. You love my brother anyway."

To be continued…